Stars’ number retirement further cements Clark as hero

Emily Clark, centre, with Anica Gauthier (#22) and Bridget Rezansoff (#17).

    For little girls in Saskatoon and area, Emily Clark is a larger than life hero.

    On Friday, Clark’s hero status received another big boost upwards when the Saskatoon Stars retired her #13 before their 4-3 Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League regular season setback to the league leading Regina Rebels.

    The skilled forward played three seasons for the Stars from 2009 to 2012 appearing in 82 regular season games collecting 45 goals and 46 assists for 91 points.

    Her best season came in her final campaign in 2011-12. During that season with the Stars, Clark appeared in 26 regular season game collecting 26 goals and 34 assists for 60 points.

    Clark’s 34 helpers are still a Stars record for most assists in one regular season. Her 60 points is still a team record for most points in one regular season, but it was matched in the 2017-18 campaign by Mackenna Parker, who tallied a club record 33 goals and 27 assists in 23 regular season games.

Emily Clark, left, and her father, Del Clark, watch her number get raised up.

    Little girls know Clark best from playing with Canada’s senior national women’s hockey team, which included winning a silver medal at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in February of 2018.
    They also know about her being a member of the University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team that won an NCAA championship last season.

    When Clark makes appearances back in her hometown of Saskatoon, it helps connect the 24-year-old to her local area fans and makes her more real to them. As an added bonus, Clark is really good when it comes to interacting with children.

    The Stars did a great job with Clark’s jersey retirement night. Her young fans would have been in awe of her highlight package that was shown on the video scoreboard that was supplied by the Badgers communications department.

Emily Clark, centre, shakes hands with Rebels captain Sydney Pedersen.

    Clark’s goals on that video were incredible.

    It is hoped that one day number retirement ceremonies for female athletes like Clark will be a more common thing. At the moment, it isn’t common to see a sports team retire a number for a female athlete.

    During my time in media dating to beginnings in student media back in 1996, Clark’s number retirement was the first one I have attended for a female athlete. For as long as I have physically walked on Earth, Clark’s number retirement ceremony is the only one I have seen in person or on a video broadcast for a female athlete.
    Despite coming a long way over the last 20 years, female sports still fights an uphill battle for exposure. With the media cuts that have come down in Canada over the last 20 years, the will by management to cover female sports is close to nil unless a legend defeating tennis player like Bianca Andreescu comes along.
    Mainstream outlets are more concerned these days with focusing resources on conflicts in government politics.

Emily Clark, left, interacts with a couple of young fans.

    Even in Saskatoon, it is easy to list female athletes who should have a bigger following.

Libby Epoch, who is a fourth-year point guard for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball team, should be a household name. She has been part of Canada’s national team system, but you would be hard pressed to find someone outside of Huskie Athletics who knows who she is.

    Berit Johnson is a third-year member for the U of S Huskies women’s wrestling team. Last season, she won a silver medal at the U Sports nationals and won a junior national title at the Canadian championships.

    At age 20, she has the potential to make big waves in her sport, but barely anyone knows anything about her outside her sport.

Emily Clark, left, is pictured with one of her fans.

    Netminder Jessica Vance from the U of S Huskies women’s hockey team has a big following from her hometown in Prince Albert, Sask., but she should still have a bigger profile than she does in Saskatoon.
    When any of these ladies does something significant and it gets attention, little girls see it and believe they can do that too and also have a positive impact on society.

    Locally, Clark is the female athlete from Saskatoon and area who has the biggest following.

    When little girls in Saskatoon and area encounter Clark, it is a big “oh wow” experience for them.

    That even goes for girls in their teenage years. Parker was a ball of happy mush when she equalled Clark’s Stars record for most points in one regular season, because Clark is her hero.

    After the Stars retired Clark’s number on Friday night, you can be sure there were a number of little girls who left Merlis Belsher Place that night believing they could do something great and special too.

Focht hits 60 in Rebels 5-2 victory

Lauren Focht scored her 60th career goal on Sunday.

    Lauren Focht hit another big career milestone before her Regina Rebels embarked on their Christmas break.

    On Sunday at the Art Hauser Centre, Focht netted her 60^th career regular season goal in her Rebels 5-2 victory over the host Prince Albert Northern Bears in a SFMAAAHL regular season contest. The 17-year-old star forward netted her milestone goal on a power play in the third period, which gave her club a 4-2 lead at that point in the contest.

    Alexis Petford and Neena Brick picked up assists on Focht’s 60^th career tally.

    Focht becomes just the 12^th player in the history of the SFMAAAHL to score 60 or more goals and just the third member of the Rebels to pull off that feat.

    Emma Waldenberger scored 60 career regular season goals in four campaigns with the Rebels from 2010 to 2014. Waldenberger also posted 61 career assists for a total of 121 points in 109 career regular season contests.

    She is the Rebels all-time leader in regular season points.

    Kennedy Bobyck scored 63 regular season goals over three campaigns with the Rebels from 2014 to 2017. She collected 57 assists for 120 points in 80 career regular season games.

    Focht is in her fourth full season with the Rebels, and has collected 45 assists and 105 points in 90 career regular season games with her hometown team. She is one of 19 players in the history of the SFMAAAHL to record 105 or more regular season points.

    In Sunday’s clash with the Bears, the Rebels took a 1-0 lead in the opening frame with a goal from Allee Gerrard.

Lauren Focht has 105 points in 90 career regular season games.

    Bears forward Paris Oleksyn replied with a pair of goals in the opening frame to give the host side a 2-1 advantage.

    Before the first period expired, Shaelyn Myers scored for the Rebels to force a 2-2 tie.

    Brick scored the only goal in the second period to give the Rebels a 3-2 advantage. Focht and Megan Hayhurst sealed a Regina victory with power-play goals in the third.

    Chantel Weller stopped 18 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Rebels, who top the SFMAAAHL standings with a 14-0-1 record.

    Janae Neufeld turned away 26 shots to take the setback in goal for the Bears.

    The Bears, who will host the Esso Cup national female midget AAA championship tournament in April of the new year, fell to 9-7-1, but they continue to sit third in the SFMAAAHL.

    Sunday’s contest finished off a stretch for the Rebels where they played three contests in less than 48 hours. They won all three of those games in regulation time.

    Both the Rebels and Bears now depart on their respective Christmas breaks.

    The Rebels return to regular season action on Saturday, Jan. 4 in the new year when they host the Battlefords Sharks (7-9) at 8 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre in Regina.

    The Bears return to regular season play on Friday, Jan. 3 in the new year when they host the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats (11-1) at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Pedersen takes charge for SFMAAAHL leading Rebels

Late grandfather a big influence for standout defender

Sydney Pedersen weaves her way to a highlight goal for the Rebels.

    Sydney Pedersen always sees herself a “granddaddy’s girl.”
    The 16-year-old star defender for the powerhouse Regina Rebels of the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League still thinks a tonne about one of her biggest supporters and influences in her late grandfather, Jim Pedersen.

    Jim had a lengthy career as a hockey scout, which included working for 26 years with the NHL’s Dallas Stars and being part of their Stanley Cup winning team in 1999. He was part of Prince Albert Raiders organization when they won the WHL title and Memorial Cup as CHL champions in 1985. He passed away in July of 2018 at age 81.

    Growing up in Milestone, Sask., Sydney felt destined to play the sport. Her father, Lee, played the sport as well as her uncles, Reid and Rod. Reid would work for a time in management with the WHL’s Regina Pats, while Rod worked as a play-by-play voice for about two decades in the WHL with the Raiders for two seasons and the Pats for a very lengthy stretch.

Sydney Pedersen, right, cuts past a Stars defender.

    When it comes to lacing up the skates herself, Sydney said the reasons she started out in hockey will lead back to her late grandfather in Jim.

    “It was kind of almost decided before I was even born that I would play hockey,” said Sydney, who is skating through her third full season with the Rebels. “I am the second oldest grandchild.

    “I am the only one that decided to play hockey, and that is kind of how my grandpa and I’s relationship built too.”

    Sydney likely would have gotten high grades from her late grandfather with her play on Saturday at Merlis Belsher Place. She has a huge outing collecting a goal and four assists as the Rebels blanked the host Saskatoon Stars 7-0 in a SFMAAAHL regular season clash.

Sydney Pedersen rushes the puck up ice with confidence.

    After 16-year-old defender Emma DeCorby scored to give the Rebels a 1-0 lead in the first period, Pedersen picked up assists on all four of the Rebels goals in the second frame as the visitors increased their edge to 5-0.

    She picked an assist on Neena Brick’s goal just 49 seconds into the second. Pedersen teamed up with Brick to set up Alexis Petford for a power-play on a backdoor setup.

    Following that tally, Pedersen combined with Tavia Terry to send Hanna Bailey into the Stars zone on a rush that resulted in Bailey netting a short-handed goal.

    Pedersen picked up her fourth assist feeding a point shot through a maze of players that was tipped home by Rebels sophomore 15-year-old forward Molly Flynn.

Sydney Pedersen, right, is having a career season with the Rebels.

    With 6:24 remaining in the third, Pedersen scored her goal by taking the puck in the centre ice zone, weaving through Stars defenders on an individual rush and smartly tucking the puck home from tight quarters in front of the Saskatoon net. That tally gave the Rebels a 6-0 lead.

    Petford rounded out the scoring with her second tally of the contest a short time after Pedersen’s goal.

    Besides the offensive fireworks, Pedersen turned some heads finishing one of her checks hard in the defensive zone in the third period.

    Jim was able to see Sydney play for the Rebels during her rookie season. She said it felt different when she hit the ice for her second season in Regina knowing Jim wouldn’t physically be in the crowd anymore.

Sydney Pedersen, left, is strong close out opposition player in the D-zone.

    “We were extremely tight,” said Sydney, who stands 5-foot-7. “When he passed on, it was really hard to get used to that with him not being there all the time.

    “He hardly ever missed a game, and he would be at the rink every practice and everything, when I played in Milestone in my younger years. I was the only grandchild to play, so that even made it more of a relationship kind of thing.”

    Before embarking on her third season, Sydney verbally committed to playing for the Robert Morris University Colonials women’s hockey team in the NCAA ranks for the start of the 2021-22 campaign.

Sydney Pedersen, left, celebrates a goal from Molly Flynn (#16).

    After making that commitment, she has followed with a stellar campaign netting career highs in goals (six), assists (12) and points (18) appearing 13 out of the Rebels 14 regular season games. Pedersen has helped Rebels rise to first in the SFMAAAHL with a 13-0-1 record.

    Pedersen was named one of the Rebels two main captains along with 17-year-old star forward Lauren Focht. During road games, Pedersen serves as the club’s captain, and Focht takes up those duties during home games.

    Rebels head coach Mike Merk said Pedersen was named one of the club’s captains due to her character and the fact she leads by example.

    “She shows up every game,” said Merk. “I think that was one thing for me.

    “I like to look at players that are going to kind of take my lead and reiterate the messages going in. Early in the season when we made the decision, she was one that kind of stood out. She does a really good job with that leadership role.”

Sydney Pedersen is an anchor on the back end for the Rebels.

    Merk said Pedersen is a pretty consistent performer on the ice too and is pretty fun to watch. She came through on both those fronts in Saturday’s win.

    “She (Pedersen) had a really good game,” said Merk. “Sydney is strong defensively, but she also had a lot of offensive punch to her game as well.

    “She is really an anchor on the back end. I’ve got a good defensive corps right now that we can either play a run and gun style or we can actually sit back and shut down. It is nice having girls like her back there.

    “Her confidence right now with the puck and ability to rush the puck I think is where I am seeing her growth happen.”

    Pedersen said she had to come out with a little more jump on Saturday. She didn’t think she was at her best, when the Rebels rallied from a 3-1 third period deficit to down the Stars 4-3 on Friday at Merlis Belsher Place.

Hanna Bailey had a short-handed goal for the Rebels.

    “I didn’t have a great game yesterday, so I knew that I have to come out and play better today,” said Pedersen. “I think as a whole we played better today, and it is way easier to get going, when you have good forwards and good D-partners beside you.”

    Arden Kliewer turned away 32-of-37 shots starting in goal for the Stars (5-11-2). Kaitlyn Cadrain played the third period in relief turning away 14-of-16 shots sent her way.

    Chantel Weller turned away all 11 shots she faced to pick up the win in goal for the Rebels and earn her fourth shutout of the season.

    The Stars now head off on their Christmas break, and they will return to regular season action on Jan. 11 in the new year, when they host the Weyburn Richardson Pioneer Gold Wings at 1:45 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place.

    The Rebels travel to Prince Albert on Sunday to take on the Northern Bears at 1 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre. After that contest, both of those squads will head out on their respective Christmas breaks.

Alexis Petford watches her power-play goal find its way home.

    Last season, the Rebels finished second overall in the SFMAAAHL regular season standings with a 17-7-4 mark. They advanced to the best-of-five SFMAAAHL championship series and were swept 3-0 by Stars squad that had a lot of veteran star players.

    Pedersen believes her team learned a lot from that experience.

    “Last year we were actually really young, so I think coming into playing the Stars in the final we were quite immature towards that,” said Pedersen. “I think that just gave us that much more experience for this coming up year in playoffs.

    “Our younger players now know what it is like. Playoff hockey is completely different from league, so they have a little taste of what it is.”

    This season, Pedersen is trying to enjoy each moment as much as possible. She felt privileged the coaches named her the captain for road games, and she believes she is surrounded by a special bunch of teammates out on the ice.

The Rebels celebrate their win on Saturday.

    “There is a super great group of girls in there,” said Pedersen. “We’re all tight-knit and were all equal, so it is awesome to be part of that.”

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Stars build SFMAAAHL dynasty, win fourth Fedoruk Cup in last five years

Anna Leschyshyn, right, lifts the Fedoruk Cup, while Ashley Messier cheers.

    It felt like it was just a matter of time before the Saskatoon Stars championship pedigree was going to rise to the surface.

    On Tuesday, the Stars were looking to sweep the best-of-five Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Championship series in a Game 3 clash against the Regina Rebels at Merlis Belsher Place. The host Stars seemed to start a little slow coming out of the gate, and the Rebels held a slight edge in play holding a 10-8 edge in shots on goal over the first 20 minutes.

    At that point, the Stars hit another gear.

    Just nine seconds into the second period, Stars star veteran winger Anna Leschyshyn blew home a power-play goal to the top corner of the Regina goal to give the Stars a 1-0 advantage.

Anna Leschyshyn had the Stars first goal on Tuesday.

    The Rebels evened things at 1-1 just 29 second later on a goal from 15-year-old forward Neena Brick, who was the SFMAAAHL’s rookie of the year this season.

    Saskatoon responded with two goals before the second frame ended to go up 3-1 and cruised to a 3-2 victory.

    With the win, the Stars swept the SFMAAAHL title series 3-0 and captured the Fedoruk Cup as league champions for the fourth time in the last five years.

    “It is obviously really special,” said Stars veteran captain Grace Shirley. “We’ve kind of been working for this ever since the beginning of the season.

    “It is really awesome that we could get the win. It is pretty special, because it is my last year. I kind of wanted to go out of the league on a winning note.

Neena Brick scored for the Rebels on Tuesday.

    “It is obviously super special, and I’m excited for what’s next.”

    When the Rebels evened the game up at 1-1, the Stars didn’t get rattled. They controlled the majority of the play for the rest of the contest.

    At the 4:12 mark of the second, Shirley put the Stars ahead 2-1 when her seemingly innocent backhand shot had eyes and found its way past Rebels netminder Chantel Weller.

    Shirley said her goal was a lucky one, but despite the luck, her team found its edge offensively.

    “I think started just like playing our game offensively and getting shots and chances,” said Shirley. “Once we started to do that, they started to go in for us, so it was good.”

Captain Grace Shirley had a goal for the Stars on Tuesday.

    With 1:37 remaining in the second period, rookie forwards Halle Helperl and Kaylee Baun teamed up to set up 17-year-old veteran linemate Kaitlin Jockims for a goal to put the Stars up 3-1.

    The Rebels were held to just two shots on goal in the third period, but one of those shots resulted in a goal from veteran 17-year-old forward Samantha Sichkaruk that cut the Stars lead to 3-2 with 8:50 remaining in the frame.

    During the dying seconds of the third, the Rebels had a huge chance to tie the game, but a final desperate shot by Brick from in close on the left side of the Saskatoon goal went just wide of its mark.

    Rookie Stars forward Haylee Kos, who turned 15-years-old in early February, said her team’s confidence was still high even after the Rebels closed to within 3-2.

    “There was a little bit of nervousness, because we got so close,” said Kos. “I think we all had some pretty good composure.

Sydney Pedersen brings the puck up ice for the Rebels.

    “We kept our defence up.”

    When the third period clock hit zero, Kos said she screamed and jumped over the boards as fast as she could to celebrate with her teammates. She said this was a dream moment during her journey in her rookie campaign.

    “It is absolutely incredible,” said Kos. “It was a little bit chaotic at first adjusting to everything, but I think once I got used to it, it was one of the best experiences of my life.”

    Arden Kliewer made 15 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Stars. Weller turned away 24 shots to take the setback in net for the Rebels.

    Saskatoon finished first in the SFMAAAHL regular season with a 27-1 mark, which was the best record the team ever posted in regular season play. Regina was second with a 17-7-4 record.

The Stars begin celebrating their SFMAAAHL title win.

    Greg Slobodzian has guided the Stars to all four of their SFMAAAHL title victories as head coach. 
    The Stars claimed the league crown in 2015, 2016 and last season. He said it is always special to finish as the top team in the province and that all of the Stars SFMAAAHL championship victories had equal meaning.

    “They are all great,” said Slobodzian. “This one is really nice, because you’re with this group of girls for so long, like the other ones too.

    “We’ve got a pretty big graduating class this year. We’ve got some young girls here that I am so happy that they get a chance to experience this. They are all great.

The crowd at Merlis Belsher Place salutes the Stars for their title win.

    “This one is just like all the other ones. I’m going to be enjoying it for a long time.”

    The Stars will now host the Manitoba female midget AAA champion Westman Wildcats from Hartney in a best-of-three Western regional playdown series. The dates and times of that series are still to be announced. It is expected the series will start around April 5.

    The winner of that series advances to the Esso Cup female midget AAA national championship tournament to be held April 21 to 27 in Sudbury, Ont.

The Stars pose for the traditional team championship photo.

    Saskatoon has advanced to the Esso Cup the three previous times it has won the SFMAAAHL title.

    Shirley is pumped to get the chance to play in another regional playdown series.

    “It is awesome,” said Shirley. “I think any time you get to play more games it is good.

    “I think we are just going to keep getting better and see where that takes us.”

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Stars one win away from SFMAAAHL title repeat

Jockims’ monster night gives Saskatoon 4-1 win in Game 2

Kaitlin Jockims had three points for the Stars on Monday.

    Kaitlin Jockims took her turn to become the latest star to step up in a big moment for the Saskatoon Stars.

    On Monday at the Co-operators Centre in Regina, Jockims had a pair of goals and an assist to help the visiting Stars erase a 1-0 first period deficit and down the host Rebels 4-1 in Game 2 of the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League championship series.

    With the win, the Stars take a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series. They will have their first chance to close out the series and win the Fedoruk Cup for a second straight year in Game 3 on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place on the University of Saskatchewan campus in Saskatoon.

    In Monday’s game, the Rebels opened the scoring at the 10:51 mark of the first period on a goal from 15-year-old sophomore defender Sydney Pedersen.

    The Stars evened things up at 1-1 at the 3:34 mark of the second, when Jockims netted her first of the contest.

    With under three seconds to play in the second period, Jockims teamed up with captain Grace Shirley to set up Anna Leschyshyn for the go-ahead goal on the power play to give Saskatoon a 2-1 advantage.

Sydney Pedersen scored for the Rebels on Monday.

    Jockims proceeded to score a huge insurance marker to give the Stars a 3-1 edge with 2:50 remaining in the third period. Sophomore forward Calli Arnold rounded out the Stars scoring with an empty-net goal inside of the final 50 seconds of the third.

    Arden Kliewer made 20 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Stars. Chantel Weller turned away 23-of-26 shots to take the setback in net for the Rebels.

    Saskatoon finished first in the SFMAAAHL regular season with a 27-1 mark, while Regina was second with a 17-7-4 record.

    The Stars are trying to win their fourth SFMAAAHL title in the last five years. The Rebels won their lone SFMAAAHL title in 2013.

    If the Rebels win Game 3 on Tuesday to stay alive in the series, they would force a Game 4 to be held in Regina on Thursday at 7:45 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre. If a series-deciding Game 5 is required, it will be held on Sunday at 5:15 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Arnold OT hero for Stars in Game 1 of SFMAAAHL final

Calli Arnold netted the OT winner for the Stars on Saturday night.

    Calli Arnold stepped into the spotlight for the Saskatoon Stars on Saturday night.

    The 15-year-old sophomore winger netted the winning goal at the 3:26 mark of overtime to give the Stars a 2-1 victory over the Regina Rebels in Game 1 of the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League championship series at Merlis Belsher Place. Game 2 of the best-of-five series is slated for Monday at 7:45 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre in Regina.

    Arnold’s goal was her first tally of the playoffs with veteran linemates Anna Leschyshyn and Joelle Fiala picking up assists.

    Going into the post-season, Arnold, who is from Dodsland, Sask., had a breakout out year netting 12 goals and 15 assists appearing in all of the Stars 28 regular season games.

Chantel Weller made 29 saves in goal for the Rebels on Saturday.

    The Stars jumped out to a 1-0 lead in Saturday’s contest as offensive-defender Ashley Messier netted a power-play goal at the 2:12 mark of the first period.

    Veteran forward Lauren Focht, who turned 17-years-old in January, scored for Regina at the 14:48 mark of the opening frame to force a 1-1 tie.

    The goaltenders for both sides had stellar performances in the SFMAAAHL title series opener.

    Arden Kliewer made 32 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Stars. Chantel Weller turned away 29 shots to take the setback in goal for the Rebels.

    Saskatoon finished first in the SFMAAAHL regular season with a 27-1 mark, while Regina was second with a 17-7-4 record. The Stars won three out of the four head-to-head regular season games with the Rebels.

    Game 3 of the series is set for Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place.

Stars alums Clark and Shirley win NCAA title with Badgers

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Worth the wait. NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

A post shared by emclark.26 (@emclark.26) on Mar 24, 2019 at 6:26pm PDT

    Saskatoon Stars alums Emily Clark and Sophie Shirley experienced a career highlight they will never forget.

    On Sunday, the two skilled forwards helped the University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team win their fifth National Collegiate Athletic Association title in team history. The top seeded Badgers blanked the second seeded University of Minnesota Golden Gophers 2-0 in the championship game of the women’s Frozen Four at the People’s United Centre in Hamden, Connecticut.

    Clark is a senior forward with the Badgers who was playing in her final NCAA career game. Shirley is a freshman with the Badgers.

    Both were held off the scoresheet in the championship final.

    Sophia Shaver and Annie Pankowski netted singles for the Badgers.

    Kristen Campbell, who is from Brandon, Man., made 27 saves to earn the shutout win in goal for the Badgers, who finished with a 35-4-2 overall record. Alex Gulstene turned away 30 shots to take the setback in goal for the Golden Gophers, who finished with a 32-6-1 overall record.

    Sunday’s win marked the first time the Badgers captured the NCAA title since 2011. A national championship in NCAA women’s hockey was first awarded in 2001.

    The Badgers blanked the fourth seeded Clarkson University Golden Knights 5-0 in a semifinal game on Friday. Clark had an assist in that contest.

    The Golden Knights won the NCAA title in each of the previous two years.

    Both Clark and Shirley are members of Canada’s national women’s hockey team program. Clark skates with the senior women’s team, and Shirley is a member of the national development team.

    Clark, who played for the Stars from 2009 to 2012, missed time at the beginning of the season due to an injured left leg. Skating in her fourth and final season with the Badgers, Clark has appeared in 34 overall games recording 14 goals, 14 assists and a plus-25 rating in the plus-minus department.

    Shirley, who played for the Stars from 2012 to 2015, had had an outstanding rookie season with the Badgers appearing in 41 overall games recording 20 goals, 18 assists and a plus-36 rating.

    The Golden Gophers blanked the Cornell University Big Red 2-0 in Friday’s other semifinal.

    Stars alum Willow Slobodzian is a sophomore defender for the Big Red. In 36 games with the Big Red this season, Slobodzian, who played for the Stars from 2014 to 2017, had four goals, eight assists and is a plus-22.

Willoughby captures Clarkson Cup with Inferno

All smiles from the 2019 Clarkson Cup Champs! pic.twitter.com/SgeQZAWTFh

— Hockey Hall of Fame (@HockeyHallFame) March 24, 2019

    Kaitlin Willoughby capped her rookie season as a professional hockey player in championship style.

    The speedy winger helped the Calgary Inferno win the Clarkson Cup as Canadian Women’s Hockey League champions with a 5-2 win over Les Canadiennes de Montreal in the circuit’s title game in Toronto, Ont., on Sunday.

    Willoughby wasn’t able to collect any points in Sunday’s final Ricoh Coliseum, but she still finished a year playing key minutes on a stacked Inferno squad this past season.

    The Inferno led Sunday’s clash with Les Canadiennes 2-0 after the first period and 3-2 after the second framed before cruising to a three-goal victory.

    Zoe Hickel scored twice for the Inferno, while Halli Krzyzaniak, Brianna Decker and Rebecca Johnston had singles. Ann-Sophie Bettez scored both goals for Les Canadiennes.

    Alex Rigsby turned away 25 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Inferno. Emerance Maschmeyer stopped 26-of-30 shots taking the setback in goal for Les Canadiennes.

    The Inferno topped the CWHL regular season standings with a 23-4-0-1 record. Les Canadiennes finished second with a 21-6-0-1 mark.

    Willoughby has appeared in 27 regular season games with the Inferno collecting one goal and five assists. On March 11, the 23-year-old forward from Prince Albert, Sask., who originally hails from Canwood, Sask., captained Canada’s women’s hockey team to a silver medal win at the FISU Winter Universiade in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.

    Canada fell 2-0 in the gold medal game to the host Russian side. In six games at the tournament, Willoughby had a goal, three assists and was a plus-five.

    Before joining the Inferno, Willoughby was a star for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team from 2013 to 2018 finishing as the squad’s second all-time leading scorer posting 50 goals and 61 assists for 111 points in 132 career regular season games.

    From 2008 to 2013, Willoughby appeared in 96 regular season games with the SFMAAAHL’s Prince Albert Northern Bears piling up 34 goals and 63 assists for 97 points.

    While playing for the Inferno and for Canada at the FISU Winter Universiade, Willoughby is competing her studies in nursing at the U of Saskatchewan.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Stars advance to SFMAAAHL final for fifth straight year

Saskatoon eliminates Notre Dame with 3-1 win in Game 4

Joelle Fiala scored the winning goal for the Stars on Thursday.

    A slight scare ultimately couldn’t keep the Saskatoon Stars from returning to the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League championship series for a fifth straight year.

    On Thursday at the Duncan McNeill Arena in Wilcox, the Stars fell behind 1-0 to the host Notre Dame Hounds before rallying for a 3-1 victory in Game 4 of a SFMAAAHL semifinal series. With the win, the Stars take the best-of-five series 3-1.

    Saskatoon advances to the best-of-five SFMAAAHL championship series to play for the Fedoruk Cup for a fifth straight year. The Stars won the league title in 2015, 2016 and last season.

    They will face the Regina Rebels in this year’s league final. Saskatoon topped the SFMAAAHL regular season standings with a 27-1 record, while Regina finished second with a 17-7-4 mark. Game 1 of the SFMAAAHL final is set for Saturday at 7:45 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place.

    The Stars were forced to play a Game 4 of their semifinal series against the Hounds on Thursday after Notre Dame prevailed 2-1 in double overtime in Game 3 on Tuesday at Merlis Belsher Place in Saskatoon.

    Notre Dame hit the scoreboard first in Game 4 when 16-year-old defender Jada Livingston scored at the 10:21 mark of the first period to give the host side a 1-0 edge.

Kaitlyn Ross made 25 saves in goal for the Hounds on Thursday.

    Coming out after the first intermission, the Stars proceeded to control play the rest of the way.

    At the 3:58 mark of the second, Stars 15-year-old sophomore forward Makena Kushniruk potted the equalizer that forced a 1-1 tie.

    Veteran centre Joelle Fiala netted what would be the game and series winner for the Stars just over four minutes after Kushniruk’s tally to put Saskatoon ahead 2-1.

    Veteran forward Anna Leschyshyn added a key insurance marker at the 9:27 mark of the third to round out the 3-1 victory for the visitors.

    Arden Kliewer made 12 stops to pick up the win in goal for the Stars. Kaitlyn Ross turned away 25 shots to take the setback in goal for the Hounds in the final outing of her stellar midget AAA career.

    Notre Dame finished fifth in the SFMAAAHL with a 12-13-3 regular season record and eliminated the Prince Albert Northern Bears 3-1 in a best-of-five SFMAAAHL quarter-final series.

    Last season, the Stars swept the Bears 3-0 in the best-of-five SFMAAAHL championship series. Saskatoon will be making a record eighth overall appearance in the league final.

Bohlken’s OT winner pushes Rebels into SFMAAAHL final

Larissa Bohlken scored the OT winner for the Rebels.

    Larissa Bohlken found some magic in overtime to become a playoff hero for the Regina Rebels.

    On Wednesday at the Fairview Arena in Swift Current, Bohlken, who is a sophomore defender, scored the winner at the 4:13 mark of overtime to give her Rebels a 3-2 victory over the host Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats in Game 4 of a SFMAAAHL semifinal series. With the win, the Rebels take the best-of-five series 3-1.

    Regina advances to the best-of-five SFMAAAHL championship series to play for the Fedoruk Cup for the first time since 2014. The Rebels fell in that year’s league final to the Weyburn Richardson Pioneer Gold Wings, who advanced on to win the Esso Cup as national female midget AAA hockey champions.

    Regina won the SFMAAAHL championship in the 2012-13 season and advanced to the Esso Cup national championship tournament finishing fourth.

    The Rebels will face the defending SFMAAAHL champion Saskatoon Stars in the best-of-five SFMAAAHL final. Game 1 for the SFMAAAHL championship series is set for 7:45 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place in Saskatoon.

    Against the Wildcats on Wednesday, the Rebels took a 2-0 lead in the second period with goals coming from the sticks of veteran forward Lauren Focht and Bohlken, who scored her first of two on the night.

    The Wildcats evened things up at 2-2 early in the third period with goals coming from the sticks of 17-year-old veteran forward Carissa Hogan and SFMAAAHL MVP Taylor Lind. Lind scored short-handed to force the 2-2 tie with 14:14 remaining in the third period.

Taylor Lind scored for the Wildcats on Wednesday.

    Both Hogan and Lind ultimately played the final games of the respective stellar midget AAA careers.

    After the Wildcats tied things up, that set the stage for Bohlken to score her second goal of the night to become the overtime hero for the Rebels.

    Chantel Weller stopped 21 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Rebels. Amaya Giraudier turned away 29 shots to take the setback in goal for the Wildcats.

    The Rebels finished second in the SFMAAAHL regular season standings with a 17-7-4 mark, while the Wildcats placed third with a 17-10-1 record.

    The Rebels and Wildcats split the first two games of their SFMAAAHL semifinal series. Regina went ahead 2-1 in the series taking Game 3 on Tuesday 4-2 at the Co-operators Centre in Regina.

    In that contest, Emma DeCorby, Kaylee Dyer, Focht and Jordan Fry netted singles for the Rebels. Kamryn Johnson and Sara Kendall replied with singles for the Wildcats.

    Weller made 27 stops to pick up the win in goal for the Rebels. Giraudier turned away 19 shots to take the setback in goal for the Wildcats.

    The Rebels swept away the Melville Prairie Fire 3-0 in a best-of-five SFMAAAHL quarter-final series. The Wildcats swept away the Battlefords Sharks 3-0 in another best-of-five SFMAAAHL quarter-final series.

    Back in 2013, the Rebels swept the Prince Albert Northern Bears 3-0 in the best-of-five SFMAAAHL championship series.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Hounds’ Ross robs Rebels to close SFMAAAHL regular season

Kaitlyn Ross had a spectacular season for the Hounds.

    Kaitlyn Ross closed Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League regular season with arguably one of her best performances of the campaign.

    On Wednesday night at the Co-operators Centre in Regina, the 17-year-old Notre Dame Hounds veteran netminder was sensational making 50 saves to allow her squad to slip past the host Rebels 2-1. Notre Dame picked up the win while being outshot 51-22.

    The performance adds to a spectacular final regular season for Ross, where she posted a 10-6-1 record, 1.88 goals against average, a .942 save percentage and four shutouts. The Redcliff, Alta., product’s save percentage led the SFMAAAHL.

    Ross has committed to join the Mount Royal University Cougars women’s hockey team in the U Sports ranks next season.

    As for Wednesday’s win over the Rebels, the Hounds took a 1-0 lead at the 7:22 mark of the first period on a goal from Sophie Young with Claire Nimegeers picking up an assist. After 20 minutes, the shots on goal were even at 8-8.

Sophie Young had a goal for the Hounds on Wednesday.

    In the second period, the Rebels threw everything including the kitchen sink at Ross holding a 23-8 edge in shots on goal in the stanza. They finally beat the Hounds star goalie on a tally from star forward Lauren Focht with 1:53 remaining in the frame.
    Defender Larissa Bohlken picked up an assist on Focht’s goal.

    The Rebels kept applying the pressure in the third holding a 20-6 edge in shots on goal for the frame.

    Despite the best efforts by the host side, Hounds 17-year-old forward Raea Gilroy scored the winner for the visitors with 2:59 remaining in the third. Olivia Leier picked up the assist on Gilroy’s marker.

    Chantel Weller made 20 saves to take the setback in goal for the Rebels.

    The clash between the Hounds and Rebels wrapped up the regular season schedule for the entire SFMAAAHL. The two sides entered this encounter knowing the final result wouldn’t change any positioning in the SFMAAAHL standings.

    The Rebels finished second in the SFMAAAHL with a 17-7-4 record. That marked Regina’s highest regular season finish since last topping the SFMAAAHL standings back in the 2013-14 campaign with a 25-2-1 record.

    The Rebels will face the Melville Prairie Fire (10-16-2) in a best-of-five first round playoff series.

Lauren Focht scored for the Rebels on Wednesday.

    The Hounds finished fifth in the SFMAAAHL with a 12-13-3 record. They will take on the Prince Albert Northern Bears (17-9-2) in a best-of-five first round SFMAAAHL playoff series.
    The Rebels and Prairie Fire announced Tuesday the dates for their best-of-five series. It begins on March 7 at 8 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre. Game 2 follows on March 9 at 8 p.m. at the Horizon Credit Union Centre in Melville.

    The series shifts back to the Co-operators Centre for Game 3 on March 10 at 7:45 p.m.

    If necessary, Game 4 is slated for the Horizon Credit Union centre for March 12 at 7:45 p.m., and Game 5 is scheduled for the Co-operators Centre on March 14 at 8 p.m.

    The rest of the SFMAAAHL post-season series are set to begin around March 7.

    The SFMAAAHL has taken a short hiatus due to the fact many of the players on the circuit will be participating in the Canada Winter Games, which are currently being held in Red Deer, Alta. The Canada Winter Games conclude on March 2.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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